Method of inspecting and trimming hosiery and apparatus therefor



Jan. 20, 1959 LAXSON 2,869,765

J. T. METHOD OF INSPECTING AND TRIMMING HOSIERY AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed NOV. 29, 1956 INVENTOR 5 J.T. LAXSON ATTORNEYS United States Patent METHOD OF INSPECTING AND TRIMMIN'G HOSIERY AN!) APPARATUS THEREFOR J. T. Laxson, Paducah, Ky., assignor to Marvel Specialty Company, Incorporated, Paducah, Ky., a corporation of Kentucky Application November 29, E56, Serial No. 625,118

3 Claims. (Cl. 223-43) This invention relates to an improved method of inspecting the right side of hosiery and to apparatus used in this operation. It also relates to improvement in the method and apparatus for inspecting the wrong side of hosiery to facilitate the removal of lint and to trim loose threads from the hosiery.

'In the manufacture of womens hosiery, it is the practice to inspect the hosiery wrong side out on the inspection form. In certain instances, it is necessary to inspect the right side of the hosiery. Previously, these different operations had to be performed on separate machines. This trimming operation has been somewhat difficult since the operator must see loosethreads nestled close to the surface of the hosiery and break them loose with one hand while trimming with the other.

It is a major object of this invention to facilitate the inspecting of hosiery either on the wrong side or the right side on the inspection form as the type of inspection demands.

It is another object of this invention to facilitate trimming of loose threads from the hosiery by raising these loose threads from the surface of the hosiery so they become more accessible to the operator.

It is a further object of this invention to remove lint from the hosiery during the course of the inspection procedure.

In attaining these objects, one feature of this invention resides in the arrangement of a hollow inspection form through which air may be forced in either direction at the option of the operator. To inspect the right side of hosiery, the toe end is first drawn into the form, the welt is placed on the form and the toe is blown from the form to overt the hosiery as it is drawn over the form. To inspect the wrong side of hosiery, the welt is first placed on the form, air is blown into the form to remove lint and loose threads, and then the hosiery is drawn onto the form for inspection and trimminng.

These and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of hosiery inspection apparatus embodiment in its preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation view of the hosiery inspection form shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the air valve as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the mounting for the hosiery inspection form.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a hosiery inspection machine with the frame work indicated generally at 12. An air duct 14 is positioned within .the frame work and coupled at 16 to inspection form 18 which is formed with hollow passage 20 and multiple fins 22 to extend the heel of the hosiery.

2,869,765 Patented Jan. 20, 1959 ICC To supplyv air in either direction to duct 18, a two way valve 24 has a conduit 26 connected to a source of air pressure at 28. From one side 30 of the air valve, a conduit 32 extends to the air duct 14 and has one end 34 disposed within air duct 14 facing in the direction of the inspection form 18 to cause air to flow through the duct toward the inspection form. On another side 36 of the air valve 24 another conduit 38 has one end 40 connected to the air valve and the other end 42 disposed within the air duct 14 facing in a direction away from the inspection form to cause air to flow through the duct 14 away from the form.

A manually operated switch, such as a foot pedal 44 actuates solenoid 46 which is connected to operate the two way air valve, to selectively cause air to flow through the duct in a direction toward the form or away from the form.

This apparatus may be operated in diiierent ways for inspection of right side or wrong side hosiery. In accord ance with the method aspects of the invention, to inspect the hosiery on the right side, the toe of the hosiery, which is wrong side out, is held at the open end of the inspection form while air is forced through the duct away from the inspection form creating a vacuum at the toe end of the form to draw the toe of the hosiery into the hollow form. With the hose disposed within the form the operator places the welt over the toe end of the form. By forcing air through the duct in the direction of the hosiery form while the welt is on the end of the form, the toe is blown in the direction of and through the welt and the hosiery everted. Then, the hosiery is drawn by the operator onto the inspection form right side out. After inspection of the hosieryon the form, it is released by the operator and removed by air fiowing from the duct outwardly through the form to blow it into a receiver or container 47.

To inspect the hosiery on the wrong side and to trim the loose threads the operator first palces the welt end of the hosiery onto the inspection form. Lint is removed and loose threads are raised by forcing air from the duct through the form and through the surface of the hosiery in the direction of the toe end. Then the hosiery is drawn onto the form for inspection and trimmimng. After the inspection and trimming operator, air is forced through the duct away from the form to create a vacuum at the toe opening in the form and to draw the toe of the hosiery into the hollow inspection form. This everts the hosiery whereupon the hosiery travels through the inspection form and through the air duct to a receiver as: at 4-8.

The foregoing description is one embodiment of the invention and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. The method of inspecting hosietry upon a hollow tubular inspection form having an open end comprising the steps of inducing a flow of air through said form from said open end, placing the toe end of the hosiery within said open end to permit said flow of air to extend the hosiery within said form while maintaining the welt end of the hosiery on the external surface of said form adjacent said open end, reversing the flow of air through said form while maintaining said welt end in the aforementioned position on said form to overt the hosiery and extend said toe end outwardly away from said form, advancing said welt end onto said form away from said open end to bring the end of said hosiery adjacent the open end of said formto thereby locate said hosiery in an inspection position on the external surface of said form, and

removing'said hosiery from said form by inducing a flow of air through said open end.

2. The method of inspecting hosiery as defined in claim 1 wherein said hosiery is removed from said form by flowing air outwardly from said form through said open end. .a

3. The method of inspecting hosiery upon a hollow tubular inspection form having an open end comprising the steps of placing the welt end of the hosiery upon the external surface of said form adjacent said open end, inducing a flow of air through said form outwardly through said open end to extend the hosiery away from said form and force air through said hosiery to remove lint and 4. loose threads therefrom, drawing the welt end of said hosiery onto said form for inspection and trimming, and

subsequently inducing a flow of air inwardly through said open end of said form to evert the hosiery by drawing the 5 hosiery into the interior of said form.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 1,405,330 Reese et al. Jan. 31, 1922 2,722,348 Ammon Nov. 1, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 340,033 Great Britain Dec. 24, 1930 

